


Bittersweet Love Story

by TheProudPrincess



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Jealous Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Jealousy, Mutual Pining, Prom, Some Plot, and I love that about our soft golden retriever, and Luke having to deal with emotions, because we all know that he isn't good at that, but i also hate it, i literally don't know how to tag, so i wrote a fic about it, this is basically just Luke being jealous of nick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28580778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheProudPrincess/pseuds/TheProudPrincess
Summary: Los Feliz High's prom sparks up new opportunities and pushed down feelings.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	Bittersweet Love Story

**Author's Note:**

> Hi loves!! long time no see!! But guess what--you'll be seeing a lot more of me soon!!! my elbow is healing and I am mostly functional with it! I've also graduated college so ii'll soon have more time to write than ever! Look out for some more stuff coming soon! Thank you to all of you for being so supportive and for all of the well wishes! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this new one! Tell me what you think! xx

Luke and the boys stood in the studio that felt more like home to them than anything else. It was typical rehearsal time except they were missing a member, the most important one at that: one Miss. Julie Molina. Much to Luke's dismay, she would be missing rehearsal because Carlos was having an end of season baseball game that she promised she would go watch. Of course Luke's immediate thought was tell him you have band commitment", but he refrained from saying it out loud because he knew how important family was to her. It's one of the things that he really liked about her (purely platonic of course). So, it was just him and the boys. Something that used to be so reoccurring when it came to rehearsals, but now feels off without their lead singer. 

"Ok boys, listen up. Prom at Julie's school is coming up soon and the music sucks so we have to do something about it!" Luke announced to his bandmates as he jumped onto the coffee table that sat in front of his familiar black leather couch. He had an unfinished song in his left hand and a setlist draft in his right all ready to go and was prepared to give his run down on why he wanted to start with what song and why certain songs came after the other. It was one of his favorite things to do as a band member; curate set-lists. Because it was then where he imagined the crowd roaring with applause at the opening number, banging their heads throughout, and giving a standing ovation at the end screaming for an encore. 

"You mean you have to do something about not being able to go the prom with Julie," Reggie teased. Luke felt his arms drop to his sides; caught off guard from his bassist's statement. Why would he care about not being able to go to the prom with Julie? It wasn't like they were dating. It wasn't like they even could date if that was even up in the air-which it wasn't. Luke was a literal ghost. And Julie was a lifer as Alex's friend, more-than-friend, Willie liked to call living people. It was physically impossible. They couldn't even touch. Sure, they had had that one exception the night of The Orpheum, but it hasn't happened since. And besides, why would a girl like Julie want to go to prom with a guy like Luke? He wasn't good enough for her and that would never change, as much as he wanted it to. 

"What? No-no that's ridiculous. In case you haven't forgotten, we're ghosts and Julie isn't. She wouldn't be able to dance with me anyway," Luke explained getting off of the coffee table and moving to pick up his guitar. He hoped that know one else has noticed, it seemed that they haven't, but he for sure noticed that he liked to pick up his guitar when he didn't know what to do with his hands. Because, with his guitar in hand, he always knew what to do. 

"Doesn't mean you don't want to," Alex chimed in from behind the drum set. Luke stopped; unsure what to think. What did they expect him to say to that? Oh absolutely I'm so in-

"No-I don't-I don't know what you're talking about. It's not like Julie would even want to dance with me in the first place," Luke responded. He found himself strumming at his guitar mindlessly then, not wanting to continue this conversation and wanting the boys to get the hint. Plot twist: they didn't. 

"Oh now you're just being crazy, Luke. You guys ooze chemistry," Reggie practically shouted. Luke rolled his eyes. 

"Reggie what did I say to you about the word 'ooze" Alex chastised. Reggie pouted his lips, looking like a hurt puppy for a minute and it took all of Luke not to immediately go to his side. 

"Whatever I still stand by my point," He mumbled. Luke continued to strum the chords to his unfinished song as the two began to bicker. He shook his head, an eye roll following suit. As much as he was glad that the focus was no longer on him and his nonexistent love life, he really wanted to discuss their prom setlist and finish this song that's been pulling at his mind for the past couple of days. 

"Guys, guys it doesn't matter. Let's just rehearse ok. Now, I'm thinking this one song is gonna be a bit slower because you know, prom," Luke explained. 

"And you want to dance with Julie, carry on," the drummer teased at him, pointing towards him, drumstick in hand. Luke shook his head, lifting his guitar over his head. 

"I don't want to--it's not. You know what, I don't have to explain anything. I'm gonna go finish this song by myself because this isn't happening. There's no point in talking about something that isn't true," Luke let out a frustrated sigh, the little weight on his shoulder lifting from him as he successfully stops all conversation. 

Leaving the studio, he finds himself on a bench in the garden not far from the garage doors. The garden where he first talked, really talked, to Julie. He already had most of the melody in his head. it's been there for awhile. He couldn't explain it, but with this one, it just sort of--poofed into existence. Kinda like he did. He's just having trouble with some of the word placement. Perfect melody no that doesnt make sense. Perfect lullaby? No it wasnt meant to put someone to sleep. Perfect...perfect harmony. Yeah-yeah luke liked that.

Luke was on to the next line, his mind suddenly moving at a mile a minute. It was moving so fast that he didn't notice Julie who had slowly made her way to the garden. She cleared her throat so that she wouldn't startle him. 

"Am i interrupting songwriting?" She asked. You see, they had a routine down. Julie and Luke. When it came to songwriting, they knew each other. They knew what it looked like when someone was in that creative headspace. They knew what it was like when you were suddenly snapped out of it. It could change your whole mood in a matter of seconds and not in a good way. And neither wanted that for themselves nor for the other person. 

"No, no. Of course not, you're never interrupting anything. What's up?" Luke asked as he looked up from his songwriting book. 

"I uh, wanted to talk to you about something," Julie stated. Luke hoped he wasn't visibly nervous because he hated to admit it, but oh was he nervous. He had never liked the words "we need to talk" and that was before what happened with his mom. But, now he especially doesn't like those words because that's how the night he ran away began. 

"All ears, boss." Luke motioned for Julie to sit next to him on the bench and she hesitantly accepted the gesture. Even though they couldn't touch, Luke was able to feel when Julie was around because he meant it when he said it, Julie was a star. And not just because she shined just as bright as one, but also because she felt like one whenever she was close to him. 

Sitting next to him, Julie fiddles with her fingers out in front of her and Luke has come to know that she only does that when she doesn't want to say what she's about to say. 

"So...I know that we um we're playing prom which is totally awesome by the way, I can't believe Flynn managed to get us that gig! I mean I can, because she's amazing, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about..." Julie stalled. It wasn't like her to stall. She was typically a right-to-the-point kinda girl. Luke already didn't like the words that she had started with and this wasn't make him feel anymore at ease. Still, his instinct was to encourage her. It always is. 

"You can tell me anything, Jules. You know that." Julie smiled that half smile of hers, the one that Luke adored and hated all at the same time. It was her, and yet it wasn't. It was her soft side. The quiet Julie. Songwriting Julie was a lot like that. And that's what he adored about the smile. But, then it was times like these, when he knew that smile meant something else, yet sometimes his brain malfunctioned and he wasn't able to concentrate on which context the smile occurred in. Luke felt his hand wanting to be placed over Julie's then, but his mind knew better. He shoved his hand under his thigh then to stop the urge to do what he knew wouldn't work on so many levels. 

"Nick asked me to prom. And I said yes," Julie blurted out. Luke felt frozen. His thoughts running a mile a minute yet they weren't moving at all. He knew that she would go to prom and probably dance with other people and even though the guys teased him about it, he didn't really imagine her dancing with someone else; until now. And out of all people, out of every single guy at Los Feliz, she chose Nick? That guitar playing, two left feet dancing jock? Could you even call him a jock? 

"Luke?" Julie called him out of his thoughts. Oh. He hadn't said anything. Oh no. He has to say something. He can't just leave Julie with nothing being said. Well, he could, but he wasn't like that anymore. Not since Julie. As much as he wanted nothing more than to just get up and leave and hide away somewhere like he used to do, find an isolated dock on the beach and just watch the waves crash against the shore, having peace of mind knowing that even the boys couldn't find him, Julie made him want to stay. 

"yeah? Y-yeah that's great. Happy for you," Luke answered, trying his best to not sound bitter, but most likely not succeeding. Julie leans back, lips pursed, head tilted slightly to the side. Luke prepares for the comeback that he definitely deserves, but it doesn't come.

"Thanks? It should be fun, except the downside is that I can't really perform as long as we'd hoped." Ok, any glue that Luke had that held him together at this point? Yeah, that was gone now. 

"What? But that's-no we have that play, Julie! Like you said, we have to start at school dances and then go to the clubs and then we record the single and then-" Luke couldn't help himself, the words coming out of him without him really knowing how to stop. Luckily, or not so luckily, Julie knew.

"Yeah, I was there. But, this dance is different, ok? It's prom. My prom. And as much as I want to play, I also want to be there in the moment. You know what that feels like, don't you?" Julie questioned him. As much as Luke wanted to say "no", he did know that feeling. It's what he felt whenever he was on stage; that "in the moment" feeling. When he was on stage, he didn't think. He just did. He reached out for hands out in front of him and felt the buzzing of Reggie's bass or the clashing of Alex's symbols behind him. He felt the hot spotlights beaming down at him and the electricity that came with nailing a guitar solo or hitting that note perfectly. He knew. Julie didn't even have to say anything more and he knew that she was thinking about that too. And that she meant that she wanted to feel it differently. She wanted to feel that with somebody that wasn't him. 

"Yeah, I get it. Don't need to say anything more. Have fun at that dance or prom or whatever I don't care what it's called. Just have a blast! We'll just be here like we always are when you get back," Luke jibed.  
"  
Luke," Julie pleaded softly, but before Julie could say anything more, Luke found himself poofing out of the garden.


End file.
